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Last years Asparagus experiment

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  • #1

    Last years Asparagus experiment

    Last year I planted a half score of Asparagus crowns that were bought at Tesco ( 3-4 crowns in a packet) individually in 25 litre barrels.

    The idea being that, whilst conventionally an asparagus bed is "kept" for 3 years before really being harvested and then only till mid June, these would be given 1 year to "bed" in and then harvested to death before being left to recover.

    Well, my main asparagus bed is still sleeping but the ones in barrels are up (the soil warms up quickly) and already I have cut some 40 spears from 8 survivors in one go. I will keep cutting till mid June then feed well.

    Next year will see if they do just as well or if they slow down, but for a quick asparagus hit, its been a cheap and easy experiment that has worked well.

    You dont need an asparagus bed, or to wait three years, just a bucket (or two)
    Last edited by pigletwillie; 06-04-2009, 07:16 PM.
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  • #2
    What sort of soil have you got them in PW and do you think you will have to top up with anything as they are in containers?
    AKA Angie

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    • #3
      Glad yours fared better than mine. 4 crowns in a huge trug thingy, never came to much last year and dug them out the other day - dead as can be

      Saw asparagus for sale in pots in Homebase yesterday - with spears a foot to eighteen inches high
      Happy Gardening,
      Shirley

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      • #4
        Originally posted by selfraising View Post
        What sort of soil have you got them in PW and do you think you will have to top up with anything as they are in containers?
        A mix of 70% vintage manure and 30% lottie compost. They will just be fed with bfb or growmore, the idea is to harvest the pants off them for two or three years and then replace them, not cosset them like a trad asparagus bed.

        My trad bed is a three year plan that will produce for 20-30 years, these are an experiment to see if the do well for more than the second year before being replaced, the barrels are an ideal solution as I can wheel them into a glasshouse or tunnel if required to force and earlier crop.

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        • #5
          Do you think for someone like me with a very small garden and even smaller asparagus bed it would be worth doing similar and growing in containers to replace in 3 years or would that not be cost effective?
          AKA Angie

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          • #6
            scuze me for being thick but....

            How big is 25 litres ? diameter and depth ?

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Maf View Post
              scuze me for being thick but....

              How big is 25 litres ? diameter and depth ?
              If I am guessing right, it is about 12 - 14 inches across and 18 inches deep? Like the oil cans from the chip shop
              Happy Gardening,
              Shirley

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              • #8
                Reading the other aspaagus thread atm, it seems that the spears from the first and second years are really thin, what size have yours been PW? And has it been worth it so far?
                "Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"

                Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.

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                • #9
                  Pencil thick and bigger in the main, about 15% are thin but I am happy with that. At around £1 a crown its so cost effective to try, especially when you compare the cost of a bunch of Asparagus.

                  Womble, the first cutting was 40 spears, I will be cutting again tomorrow night and expect around the same, I will try to get some piccies on the blog.

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                  • #10
                    Just realised I have some spare crowns sown from seed last year that I have nowhere to plant (I am filling up two beds at two different sites, have already given a few away and promised more, yet still there are spares!!) and wondered if I could plant say 3 or 4 crowns in a 26 litre trug? about 2 feet diameter I think. What do you reckon - is that about the right number? I notice you planted yours individually in similar sizes containers, but that seems a bit generous to me looking at the size of my trugs.
                    Last edited by Demeter; 07-04-2009, 08:49 PM.
                    Warning: I have a dangerous tendency to act like I know what I'm talking about.

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                    • #11
                      Since we may have to uproot our asparagus crowns only planed two weeks ago, I might try a similar experiment! Would rather use the crowns for that, than rely on them being the trad longterm crowns since we'll probably compromise them by moving them.
                      I don't roll on Shabbos

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                      • #12
                        Just bought some asparagus crowns of ebay to give this a try. I've got a bag of well rotted horse manure and multi purpose compost, do you think that would be an ok mixture?
                        Susiewoosie

                        A novice but keen to learn

                        My Blog - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s/susiewoosie/

                        My photo Albums - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ie-albums.html

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